Last night I flew to the moon, teleported back to my childhood home, explored the depths of the ocean on the back of a dolphin, passed through a portal into another dimension, ran through walls, jumped off skyscrapers, and observed what the world would look like 1,000 years from now.

And it was all just as vivid as real life… If not more so!

I’m not a lunatic – I’m a lucid dreamer. When I was 14 years old I discovered the art of lucid dreaming: the ability to become self aware during the dream state. While the body remains asleep, the conscious brain wakes up, injecting the dream with vivid sensory input and empowering you with the ability to control your actions within the dream – and even control the dream itself.

The History and The Science of Lucid Dreams

Consciousness in dreams is a concept that has been documented for at least a thousand years when it was practiced by ancient Tibetan Buddhists in the form of Dream Yoga. They described it as “apprehending the dream”. They had discovered not only a wonderful form of escapism, but the ability to observe consciousness in its purest form, without the distraction of any external physical or conceptual stimulus.

Many lay people stumbled onto lucidity in their dreams over the centuries and there are examples of this happening all throughout history. But it was not until 1968 that the term lucid dreaming was coined by Celia Green, a philosopher and psychologist known for her extreme skepticism.

In her book, Lucid Dreams, Green predicted that conscious dreaming would be found only during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. She also speculated over a two-way signaling system between a lucid dreamer and a waking observer, using pre-determined eye movements while dreaming. This was later scientifically documented by two separate lucid dreamers in their university laboratories: Alan Worsley at the University of Hull in England, and Stephen LaBerge at Stanford University in California.

Lucid dreaming is a very real phenomenon.

The Benefits of Lucid Dreaming

Why would you want to learn how to lucid dream? Is it really worth the effort?

Absolutely! Lucid dreams can be life changing experiences, not merely providing the allure of wish fulfillment, but providing us with a vivid alternate reality playground for our personal development.

When fully conscious in your dream, you can enhance your problem solving skills in extraordinarily creative ways. Take Friedrich Kekule’s discovery of the structure of the benzene molecule; Otto Loewi’s experiment on nerve impulses; and Elias Howe’s invention of the sewing machine. These scientists and inventors highlight the stunning power of the subconscious mind, which we can tap into directly via lucid dreams.

Lucid dreaming is an exceptionally powerful way to improve your creativity, too. Painters like Salvador Dali, William Blake and Paul Klee created famous artwork inspired by dreams. Some lucid dreaming artists walk through dream art galleries to find inspiration for their next work. Even musical composers – like Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner – pointed to dreams as the source of their inspiration. In fact, some of the beautiful music I ever heard took place in my lucid dreams. They reveal our most creative side because of the free-flow of ideas arising from the subconscious mind.

As lucid dreamers, we can actively pursue the types of dreams we want, and seek answers to questions in any way our subconscious wants to present them! You are not even limited by your conscious imagination – far from it.

Another exciting benefit of lucid dreaming is the ability to face your fears in a controlled but realistic setting. If you are afraid of heights, why not jump out of an airplane!? In the alternate reality of lucid dreams, you can slow down time for a controlled fall, and float gently to the ground. Once you have done this at 10,000 feet you will be surprised how you feel about heights in the waking world.

By the same token, you can practice new skills in lucid dreams. In Exploring The World of Lucid Dreaming by Dr Stephen LaBerge, a lucid dreaming surgeon explains how he would review his surgical cases for the next day before going to sleep. Then he would practice them in precise detail in his lucid dreams – he had a solid reputation as a surgeon because of this, being able to refine and polish his techniques and perform procedures much faster than average. Similarly, lucid dreaming has been shown to improve the procedural memory of your muscles, so you can practice martial arts or piano playing while lucid, and you will be physically better at it when you wake up.

For me, one of the biggest breakthroughs of lucid dreaming was learning how to speak to my subconscious mind in the dream. After reading Robert Waggoner’s Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self, I found I could speak to dream figures and ask what part of me they represented – as well as sending direct requests to my subconscious dreaming mind, like “Show me something amazing!” Even through years of meditation, I have never encountered the kind of opportunities to connect with my subconscious as I do through lucid dreaming.

Can Anyone Learn to Lucid Dream?

Yes, I believe so. Lucid dreaming is the result of dreaming and being conscious at the same time. Since we all dream every night (you just may not remember it) and we are all conscious during the day, becoming lucid is the simple act of combining the two states of mind at the same time. Once you understand and implement the techniques for becoming lucid, it is really not that difficult to achieve at least one lucid dream per week.

The more you practice lucid dreaming, the more you will learn about the power of the human brain and connect with your inner self. It will only get more exciting as you master this psychological art. My next article will discuss the best ways for a beginner to start lucid dreaming on demand. Until then – sweet dreams!

About the Author

Rebecca Turner is a keen lucid dreamer and has been researching the nature of dreams and consciousness since her teens. She is the author of World of Lucid Dreaming, a popular website which teaches anyone how to lucid dream on demand, as well as a joint-author of Lucid Fiction, the world’s first collection of short stories entirely dedicated to lucidity and alternate realities. The book has been praised for helping beginners induce lucid dreams at will using the subconscious incubation method.

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People often wonder as to what possible benefits one can get through Astral Projection or Out-of-body-experiences. Let us look at some them:

1. Fly and have fun!

In the Astral world even the sky is NOT the limit. You can fly way beyond the blue skies. Or glide through the air or float like a balloon. Want to have a bird’s eye view of our city? No problem! Or maybe jump off mountains and somersault in mid-air! Imagine being able to glide over the ocean like a seagull, or dive inside and swim like a fish!

If you want you can even propel out into the infinite space and explore the planets, heavenly bodies and other distant galaxies. We can visit any city on this planet and other planets as well. We can go and check out friends in another corner of the world!

2. Confirmed belief in life after death

A fully conscious Astral Projection gives us the ability to obtain firsthand knowledge that we can exist outside our bodies. It provides us irrefutable personal evidence that we are immortal.

If it is possible for our consciousness to exist outside our body, then it is also possible that our consciousness survives physical death. This belief removes fear of death completely. It reassures us that there is life after death and you absolutely know that you continue after kicking the bucket!

3. Get glimpses of your past life and know your purpose of existence

As we experience more and more Projections, we start getting glimpses of our past lives. These memories aid in finding our purpose of existence.

The information gained can help us know ourselves better. We can overcome certain traumas and cure certain illnesses. We get a sense of universalism, the feeling of which is ecstatic.

We expand self-awareness, increase our level of maturity, and also accelerate our spiritual evolution.

4. Meeting Guides

Through Astral Projection you can meet your Spiritual Guide who can be a source of inspiration and also help you evolve spiritually.

5. Learning

All sorts of hidden knowledge can be acquired through Astral Projection… knowledge that cannot be acquired in every day life. You can learn about ourselves, about our Earth, the Universe, or about anything else. You can meet advanced enlightened beings, even from distant ancient traditions, and learn from them. You can even attend esoteric schools and temples and learn about the mysteries of life and death…

6. Increase Psychic Abilities

Regular Out of body experiences enhances your paranormal and psychic abilities such as clairvoyance, ESP, precognition, telepathy, premonitions, prophecy, the ability to see auras and many other psychic abilities. This is a natural result because we become more in tune with our internal energy systems and also become sensitive to universal energies.

7. Personal development and well-being

Through Astral Projection we become better in all spheres of life.

We have a sense of overall well-being, increase in self-confidence, control of stress, emotional balance, heightening of intellectual capacities, and expansion of self-knowledge. Out-of-body experiences help us to break free from old mental ruts and habits. We get a more enlightened perspective of our current existence and this expansive vision is instrumental in awakening new levels of personal growth and understanding.

The recognition that we are more than just physical beings, gives us firm belief that we are capable of much more than previously imagined. Once we consciously control our non-physical self, we can unlock the unlimited knowledge of our subconscious and harness our ability to explore the universe.

8. A reduction in hostility and increased respect for life

Those who have experienced an OOBE, realize that they continue after death. The also become aware that along with their consciousness, their personal responsibility also continues. Hence many feel that harboring hostility towards other fellow souls can be very self-destructive.

Due to the personal knowledge obtained concerning our spiritual interconnection, Astral Projectors seem to start detesting violence and killing.

9. Experience tranquility

Many Astral Projectors report feeling at peace with themselves and others. They develop an inner tranquility that is hard to describe.

10. An increased desire for answers

Astral Projection often sets people on a personal spiritual quest to solve the mysteries they have held since childhood. Questions like – What are we? What is our purpose? Do we continue? These questions and many more can be answered only through personal experience. Out-of-body exploration helps us to obtain the answers we seek.

11. Meet deceased loved ones

We can meet our loved ones who have left the physical plane. These meetings are very helpful because we can request for their guidance and healing.

12. An increased zest for life

There is a certain excitement inherent in Out-Of-Body exploration because by exploring the non-physical realms, we become the ultimate explorers. Life itself becomes an adventure, an exciting journey of discovery. Every Projection is an opportunity to experience a new adventure. This inner excitement also stems from the fact that we are blazing a path much ahead of our time.

13. Increased knowledge, wisdom and intelligence

Only experience creates wisdom. Out-of-body experiences provide knowledge and wisdom far beyond the limits of our physical perceptions. This knowledge is first hand and is not imposed by other teachings and beliefs.

Many people also report that their out-of-body experiences have enhanced their awareness and intelligence.

14. Increased Spirituality

Many Astral Projectors report meaningful insights into their spiritual nature. Instead of viewing themselves as Physical beings possessing a soul, many start to recognize themselves as soul temporarily possessing a Physical body. There is a feeling of connection to something far greater than them.

15. Healing

With the knowledge and control acquired through Out-of-Body experiences, we learn to utilize our own energies in favor of other beings. We can heal others, and ourselves mentally and physically.

Abhishek has been practicing Astral Projection and Lucid Dreaming for the last 15 years.

To find out more about his 18 Part Audio Course visit…..  www.astralprojectnow.com

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personal note from Cyndi:  I have started to work with Abhishek’s material – and though I have yet to have my first conscious Astral Projection – I am starting to experience some of the first symptoms he talks about and I am becoming more determined to make this work.  I would love to hear from anyone who is also interested in Astral Projection – to learn how its working for you, what resources you have used, and, if you don’t mind, a little bit about your first experience and or your most memorable one.  I sense so much potential to be of much more service once I can add Astral Projection to my “toolbox”.  Thanks in advance for your help.

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